Title: An assessment of waste management operation in Malaysia: case study on Kuala Langat and Sepang Innocent

Authors: A. Jereme; Chamhuri Siwar; Rawshan Ara Begum; Md. Mahmudul Alam

Addresses: Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), National University of Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor D.E, Malaysia ' Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), National University of Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor D.E, Malaysia ' Institute of Climate Change (IPI), National University of Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia ' Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), National University of Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi, Selangor D.E, Malaysia

Abstract: Malaysia has seen a high rate of economic growth in the past couple of decades, hand in hand with an ever increasing size of population. Consequently, the issue of sustainable waste management has become an important priority for policymakers and other stakeholders of the society. Although the respective local administrations are responsible for collection and disposal of household and industrial wastes, privatisation of the entire process has been heavily promoted and pursued by the federal government of the country. A significant number of waste dealers - both formal and informal - are currently involved in the field level. Through analysing the inputs acquired from semi-structured interviews with these waste dealers operating at Kuala Langat and Sepang districts in Selangor state, it was found that inconsistency in policy formation by local authorities on waste disposal regulations and as well bureaucracy in business registration for waste dealers has indirectly encouraged illegal dumping of waste in the districts. However, against all odds the districts have potentials for viable recycling business.

Keywords: waste dealers; waste operators; waste management; recycling; informal sector; scavengers; landfills; Malaysia; case study; household waste; industrial waste; privatisation; waste disposal regulations; bureaucracy; business registration; illegal dumping; waste dumping.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2015.071288

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2015 Vol.16 No.2, pp.133 - 144

Accepted: 21 Feb 2015
Published online: 19 Aug 2015 *

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